Destined
by diamondwine
Summary: The future legacy of the Charmed Ones continues with Wyatt Halliwell. He runs into a past friend of the family and falls for his daughter.
1. Chapter 1

*So this idea has been in my head for a few days. I grew up with Charmed. It has been my favorite show since I was about ten years old. I'm going to let this all out of my brain before it explodes…

"Charm Morris?" Professor Benet called from the roster, and I looked up from where I was drawing a perfect set of hands on the back of my new French notebook. The first name had caused a jolt in my chest and I immediately began to think about my mother and my aunts; the Charmed Ones.

"Is there a Charm Morris in this section?" Professor Benet called, looking around the lecture hall. A girl sitting five rows in front of me waved her hand and then stood up.

"Are you the note taker for this section?" I heard the Professor ask as the girl approached. I stopped drawing and watched a caramel coloured young lady walk up to him, nodding. The rest of their conversation was drowned out by the continuous flux of students into the lecture hall. I wasn't sure why, but I couldn't stop looking at this girl, curiosity overcoming me. I closed my eyes for a second and tapped into my powers to intensify my sense of hearing, until I could hear her voice. She sounded…sweet, much like the caramel her skin reminded me of. She had long hazel braids, which were held up in a neat ponytail, swinging at the middle of her back when she nodded her head, speaking something in French to Professor Benet. All I understood was, "Yes, sir," before he thanked her in English and she turned to walk back to her seat. I stopped intensifying my hearing, as I was beginning to fall out of focus and get a headache from the myriad of conversations going on around me. I rubbed my temples and winced; I was still trying to learn how to master that power. I sometimes had trouble turning it off.

"Wyatt!" said my roommate, walking up the aisle and pausing when he saw me.

"Ty," I said, motioning to the seat beside me. He slid in past me, thanking me for saving him a seat.

"Meet any hot girls yet?" he asked me. I chuckled.

"Day _one_, Ty, and you're already on the prowl?" I asked. "Day _one_, _first _semester of college. You're unbelievable," I laughed. He'd been my buddy since high school, and was now rooming with me at the University of San Francisco. I couldn't believe I'd been sitting in a jam packed lecture hall for ten minutes straight without having to worry about a demon attack, but then again, I don't know why I was so surprised, the hall _was_ jam packed. I could see Charm sitting down front just five rows away from me. I hadn't taken French since seventh grade; I was going to need those notes.

"Dude, you need a haircut. You look like a lion," Ty said, bringing my attention back to him. He playfully pushed his hand through my hair and I backed away.

"Hey, I'm not a dog," I said.

"You sure? 'Cause you really look like one to me now." That was Ty, the joker. I laughed anyway. It was still hot, not quite the end of summer, and I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. We'd had Labor Day off, but already I couldn't wait for the weekend so I could take a visit to the beach.

"Hey," Ty whispered, as Professor Benet finally started speaking, asking the class to settle down.

"Do you think you could cast a spell so I can _finally _get a decent girlfriend?" Ty asked me. I laughed, though I knew he wasn't joking.

"I'm _serious_," he whispered. He was that good of a friend, enough that he'd known for almost a whole year that I was a witch. He'd never turned his back on me or been reluctant to stay friends because of it, something my mom, and aunts, had always tried to warn me about, to make me careful of how much I reveal myself to others. I knew they never meant to discourage me from having what my parents always called "a normal life," but at times I felt so alone and so limited. It was nice having a little brother like Chris to practice magic around, or use magic _on_, but I wanted someone my age to talk to about it; someone to enjoy the experience of growing into my powers with. But I had Ty and he didn't mind, so it wasn't all bad.

"Personal gain," I said, looking ahead at Professor Benet and finally giving him my somewhat undivided attention. I heard Ty complain.

"How is it personal gain?" he whispered furiously, causing the girl in the seat in front of us to look back for a second.

"Hi," he said. The girl smiled and waved.

"Hi," she said.

"Well, there you go," I whispered from the corner of my mouth. I tried to pay as much attention as I could, believing that college would be the most difficult task I'd ever taken on, not that vanquishing demons from my crib was that big of a deal. But all the professor talked about was his background, that he had been teaching at USF for two years, he went over the syllabus, explained his expectations from us as a class, and then sent us on our way, but not before letting us know we were starting right on chapter one by the following class. As soon as I was done putting my notebook in my backpack, Ty was having a conversation with the girl who'd been sitting in front of us. I rolled my eyes, imagining him dumping her within the first week of dating her. I walked down the aisle, stuck behind tons of students. When I finally got to the front, I paused and went up to Professor Benet, who was once again speaking with the girl who'd approached him at the beginning of class. They were having a conversation in French. Something told me the girl was too fluent for French 100.

"You look lost, tall sir," said Professor Benet, who was just a bit taller than me at around 6'8".

"Oh, uh no. I just wanted to ask about note taking. I think I'm going to need some help in this class. I haven't had French since middle school and I'm minoring in it."

"Oh of course!" said the Professor, gesturing to the girl.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Charm," she said, extending her hand to shake mine. I took it, smiling genuinely. When I looked down into her eyes, they were a warm honey brown that made me feel like eating chocolate. She was sort of small, svelte like a dancer, but her handshake was firm and confident, the hand so small in my own.

"I'm taking notes for this class. I'm a freshman, but my mom is half French so I can pretty much teach it myself," she explained, although she didn't sound like she was trying to brag by saying so.

"Ah, you've come to the right place, sir," said Professor Benet, shifting the beret he was wearing with a warm smile.

"Oh, I'm a freshman, too," I explained, placing my hand over my chest. Charm looked like she didn't believe me for a minute as she gazed up at me. I had a tendency to be taller than other people.

"Tu es très grand!" Professor Benet exclaimed, and I didn't need a refresher in my French to know he was talking about my height. I laughed, and then Charm laughed and it was, in fact, a charming sound.

"I know, I get it from my dad," I said.

"Well done. I don't think you'll need those notes as badly as you think," said Professor Benet, crossing his arms with a satisfied look on his face.

"Oh, I'm just kidding," he said, waving a hand nonchalantly.

"It's a pleasure to meet you…" he trailed off, shaking my hand.

"Wyatt. My name's Wyatt Halliwell," I said.

"Well, Wyatt," Charm began, "I'll be putting the notes up on the website daily after classes. So if you _do_ need them, they'll be there. The address is in the syllabus."

"Thank you," I said. Charm smiled and nodded as I walked away, the lecture hall suddenly stark empty. There was something about that girl that was familiar. I couldn't quite place it…

By Friday, it was sweltering. It never really got too hot in San Fran, but this summer was unique. I was in my car, on the way home for the weekend. I knew my mom was going to be angry with me for coming back after barely a week, but I missed my dog and my little brother, and I wanted to go to the beach. Not to mention, my dorm room was on the top floor and it was painfully uncomfortable to sleep in that room some nights. Ty had stayed back; he had a date with that girl who was sitting in front of us. I shook my head and laughed at the thought of him. I knew what he'd be up to while I was gone for the weekend. As I got lost in my thoughts, I wasn't paying as much attention to the speed limit as I should have been, and the next thing I knew, there was a cop car blowing its horn behind me, the lights flashing.

"Shit," I said to myself, slowing down and pulling over. I sighed with frustration and let my head fall back against the seat as the cop car parked behind me and a guy got out, approaching slowly. I rolled my window down, letting the AC out to allow the officer to speak to me.

"How are you doing this fine, sweltering day, young man? Do you have any _idea_ how fast you were going, son?" said a black guy with sunglasses on which made him look reproachful and dangerous at the same time.

"I'm sorry sir," I said politely, trying not to get bothered. All I wanted to do was go home for the weekend.

"I'm gonna have to give you a ticket," he said, finally pulling something out of his pocket.

"License and registration please," he said in a bored manner. I went into the dashboard and all of these receipts and mail fell out. I rolled my eyes.

"Hang on, I have to get through this mess," I said, opening the door. The officer backed up a bit so I could get out of the car. As I started to walk around to the other side, I noticed someone sitting in the passenger's seat of the officer's car. It was Charm, the girl from my French class. She looked through the window. I wondered if she'd remember me. She smiled and then I knew she did. She stepped out of the car.

"Oh, hey," she said casually.

"Oh," she said, looking over at the police officer whose back was turned to us as he wrote me a ticket.

"Wait, why are you in a cop car?" I asked randomly, wondering if she'd been under arrest.

"So you were speeding," she said, pointing to the police officer.

"That's my dad," she said, grinning. He turned around and found us talking there. He walked up to us.

"Charm. Why'd you get out of the car? I just gotta give a ticket really quickly then we'll go home," he said, looking from his daughter to me and back again.

"Oh, daddy, he's in my French class. He's a freshman, too. Don't you think you could let it slide?" she asked. Her father took his sunglasses off and looked at the doe eyes his daughter was giving him. He then sighed and couldn't fight the grin that made its way onto his face. He then turned to me.

"It's your lucky day, young man," he said, ripping up the ticket.

"Ah, what the hell, it's a Friday and everyone just wants to get home. I'm sure you'll pay more attention to the speed limit from now on, won't you," he said a bit imposingly.

"Yes sir," I said respectfully. I then turned to Charm.

"Thank you," I said out of the corner of my mouth. The officer laughed.

"I'm Officer Morris," he said, "I didn't catch your name."

"Wyatt," said Charm, remembering my name before I could say it. Somehow it made me feel good that she did. The smile slowly faded from the police officer's face as he looked at me.

"Halliwell?" he asked, creasing his eyebrows a bit.

"…Yeah. How'd you know?" I asked. And then my senses kicked in and I was preparing to use my powers if I had to. It would have absolutely sucked to find out that this guy was a demon, whose "daughter" was actually an assassin waiting to gain my trust and steal my powers, and then take my life. I quickly relaxed when the officer took a step back from me.

"Is something wrong?" Charm asked, interrupting the silence and staring at her father and then looking at me. I may have been a tall guy, but I wasn't out to hurt anyone without reason.

"Get in the car, Charm," said the officer.

"Dad?"

"I said, 'get in the car,'" Officer Morris repeated a bit harshly. Charm looked at me for a second, quietly apologizing before hurrying back into her seat on the passenger's side and closing the door. The officer just looked me up and down for a moment. I looked at him strangely. I didn't have a weapon on me or anything but he was looking at me like I was a criminal. I could see Charm asking her father what was wrong when he stepped back into his car, slammed the door and sped off past me, no doubt breaking the speed limit he'd pulled me over for.

"That was weird," I said to myself, slowly walking back to my car and driving the rest of the way home under the speed limit. I could've just orbed from my dorm, but I wanted to give "normal life" a try. Plus I just wanted to drive the car I'd worked two summers to save up for during high school. I couldn't take Charm's face out of my mind as I pulled up the driveway where Chris was sitting on the front porch with our dog. He smiled when he saw me and started to walk down the front steps.

"You're back already?" he asked. I rolled my eyes.

"Mom's gonna be mad," he said. I punched him in the shoulder playfully before greeting our Welsh Corgi, Ames, as he ran over to me. I picked him up and he started to lick my face. I laughed. My mother came running out of the house, holding a wooden spoon. I knew she'd been cooking dinner. She smiled but her voice was reprimanding when she spoke to me.

"Wyatt Halliwell, I told you to stay at school! You're supposed to spend at least one month away before you come back home. I don't want you getting so used to being around here. You're growing up, you need to learn to live on your own," she said. I put the dog down and hugged my mother. She hugged me tightly and I knew she'd been missing me all week.

"Piper, what's—?" my dad started when he came to the doorway. He smiled when he saw me and came down the steps to give me a hug next.

"What're you doing here, bud?" he asked me.

"He missed the _dog_," my mom said. She'd known all along why I wanted to come home.

Ames was jumping up on my legs.

"The weirdest thing happened on my drive home," I said.

"I got pulled over by a police officer and—"

"What did you do?" my mother asked, placing her hands on her hips.

"N-nothing, I just went over the speed limit a bit," I confessed. Chris laughed when he realized I was in trouble with mom. My father cocked a brow.

"You could've just orbed home, saved some gas." Mom hit him in the chest with the spoon.

"Don't tempt him. Remember what we said about sending them off to college? That was going to be a _normal_ experience," she said in her familiar sarcastic and cynical tone. I laughed.

"Not funny, young man. You're paying that speeding ticket," she said, brandishing the spoon at me.

"But mom, that's the thing," I began, "he didn't give it to me. It was strange; his daughter, her name is Charm, actually. She's a note taker in my French class. She convinced him not to give me the ticket. He totally freaked out when he realized what my name was. I told him my first name and he already knew my last one. He told his daughter to get back in the car. He looked at me like I was dangerous—well, I _am_, but I'm not," I said, bragging a bit, "And then he sped right off!"

"Huh, that's strange," said my dad.

"Did he say what _his_ name was?" my mom asked curiously.

"Yeah, Officer Morris."

At the sound of his name, my mother's face went pale.

"Mom?" I asked. It was the same reaction that Officer Morris had had upon hearing my name. Something told me there was something going on. It wasn't going to be the last time I'd seen Charm.


	2. Chapter 2

"Mom?"

"That's okay, Wyatt," she said, waving her hands nonchalantly. I couldn't let it go, though as she hurried back into the house, worrying about some roast burning.

"I'm glad you're home," said dad, placing a hand on my shoulder before going back up the steps after mom.

"That was weird," Chris explained.

"Yeah," I said.

The following Monday, I decided to go get a haircut in the afternoon. I was tired of Ty petting me all the time. It was around 6:30 when I got into the city and found a place. I went in and asked the receptionist how much it would cost and it sounded like a reasonable price, so I waited not more than ten or so minutes, thumbing through a copy of Sports Illustrated, wishing I had just orbed to London for the 2012 Olympics.

"Need a cut?" chimed a familiar voice. I looked up from the magazine to find Charm standing in front of me in a lilac apron. She looked surprised to see me for a second.

"Charm," I said.

"Wyatt." Charm glanced back and forth as if to make sure no one was watching. I wasn't sure what to expect from her since our last interaction. It had seemed that her dad didn't like me for some reason, yet I'd had no idea why.

"What brings you here?" She asked.

"Uh," I said, standing and tousling my hair. I saw Charm's eyes follow me slowly as I stood to my full height.

"Oh," she said knowingly, looking at my hair.

"Well, right this way," she said, looking unsure of something as she led me back to the chairs.

"Thanks," I said politely, taking a seat before she whipped a covering around me.

"How short do you want it?" She asked.

"Just above the ears is fine," I said. Charm went to work. Her hands worked so gingerly and deftly, and I watched my dirty blond locks fall around me to the floor. Charm didn't speak again for the entire twenty or so minutes she spent cutting my hair. Finally she whisked my chair around towards the mirror for me to see.

"Alright," I said, wanting to break the awkward silence.

"I can't help wondering what was up with your dad last week," I said. I had a habit of sticking my foot right in it. Charm stopped sweeping hair from my shoulders. Slowly, she pulled the covering off me. I stood and turned to face her.

"Charm?" I asked, waiting for her to meet my eyes. She sighed and lowered her voice, so I leant down a ways to hear her.

"I don't know. I'm sorry about that," she explained.

"Do you like the cut? It's on the house if you don't."

"It's just that he looked at me like...like I'd wronged him somehow," I continued, refusing to change the subject.

"Wyatt..."

"Please? I just want to know what I did wrong."

Charm sighed, "I-It's just my dad. He's a cop, you know? Add that to being a father and you get one hyperprotective person." She grinned and even though I barely knew her, I knew she was lying to me.

"...Okay, it was weird. I've never seen my dad get like that. He told me to stay away from you, and when I asked him why, he wouldn't tell me," she explained. I was honestly a bit offended, and surprised.

"Do you think you should stay away from me?" I asked her. Charm smiled up at me.

"You know, usually I don't question my dad's authority when it comes to trusting people. He's seen just about all the horrors there are to see in his line of work. But I've always had this sixth sense about people, and hasn't failed me yet. So no, Wyatt, I don't think I should stay away from you," she said. I relaxed a bit, but it didn't stop me from wondering about her dad.

"Did he say anything else about me?" I asked.

"No," said Charm, shaking her head. I looked in the mirror. She'd done a good job with my hair. I pulled my wallet out of my pocket to give Charm a tip.

"Oh, you don't have to—"

"You deserve it," I said, waiting for her to take the tip.

"Thank you," she said.

"Thank _you_," I said.

"So, I'll see you around?" I asked. Charm nodded. I walked up to the front desk to pay. The salon was closing up. I was about to leave when I heard my name. It was Charm.

"Hey," I said.

"Uhm, I know I don't know you very well but I was wondering if you were taking the bus back to campus and if you'd just go with me. I usually go with a friend of mine but she called off of work today. You're kinda a big guy. I'd feel safer." She explained. I couldn't help grinning.

"Actually I drove. I have a car. I wouldn't mind bringing you back to campus, if you're comfortable with that," I explained.

Though she had warm brown skin, I thought I saw a flush of red under her cheeks.

"It's just a ride from a fellow classmate," I said.

"Will you wait a minute or two, so I can get my things?" she asked.

"Of course," I said, taking a seat once more. Charm scurried away to the back. I wasn't sitting there for more than forty seconds before she came back with her backpack. I stood and chivalrously opened the door before she reached it, letting her walk out past me.

"Thank you so much," she said.

"It's no sweat," I assured. She walked beside me as I started a short ways to my car.

"So, how are you liking USF so far?" I asked, creating small talk. Charm laughed.

"It's great. I still sort of wish I'd gone to college on the East Coast. I got into a few schools there. I feel like every time I turn around, my dad is knocking on my dorm door to check on me," she said shaking her head in irritation. I laughed then and Charm smiled up at me.

"You know, it's not a bad thing to have such a protective father. You never know what dangers are lurking around the corners," I said somewhat absently, thinking about all the demon attacks throughout my childhood, watching my dad obliterate monsters before my very eyes.

"Right," said Charm. I opened my car door to let her into the passenger's side, which she seemed a bit taken aback by.

"You're so polite," she said, and I had the strangest feeling that she'd never had a guy act so kindly towards her. I closed the door securely once she was inside and then looked both ways before going out into the street to get in.

"So where do you live?" I asked, "I mean, uh, where would you like me to drop you off?" Charm told me which dorm she was staying in and I turned the radio on to a soft rock station as I took off. She didn't say much and I got the impression she was shy. When I stopped in front of her building, she unbuckled her seatbelt and thanked me again. I waited until she was inside the building before driving off. And then it occurred to me that I didn't have to do wait, but I just wanted to make sure she got to the door safely. She was nervous enough not to want to take the bus home alone, but she had no idea what I was capable of and just how safe she was with me…

I sat in front in French, a few seats away from Charm. She didn't seem to have noticed me, as she was busy writing something down. Class hadn't even started yet. Professor Benet was going through his computer setting up the slides, and Ty was nowhere to be found. He'd decided to skip class for the day, probably to follow that new girlfriend of his around like a puppy. I really hoped he knew what he was doing. I noticed that the seat to the right of Charm was still vacant, so I picked up my bag and stood up to go sit by her instead. She looked up when I sat down.

"Oh, hi Wyatt," she said.

"Hey."

"Thanks again for the ride last night," she said.

"It was no problem. Any time," I said honestly.

"Have you seen the notes I put up on the class site? They're already there if you need them," she explained.

"Yeah, I looked. Everything is a bit of a review and stuff that's still pretty familiar to me, but yeah, I've taken a look at them. Thank you," I said.

She smiled and continued scrawling out whatever it was she was writing. I couldn't keep sitting there making small conversation with her.

"Do you want to go out some time?"


	3. Chapter 3

"Is something wrong?" I finally asked Charm. She'd been looking around like someone was stalking us since I picked her up from her dorm. She glanced up at me and it was a worried look that I saw on her face. It was immediately replaced with a smile and she hid her worries.

"Nothing, nothing, Wyatt," she explained, calming me down a bit. We finally reached the pizza place and I pulled the door open for her. We went up to look at the menu.

"I've heard this is some of the best pizza in San Francisco," I said, crossing my arms and reading down the list.

"Really? Never would have guessed," said Charm. I glanced down from the corner of my eye at her; it seemed like she was so far away, though she was standing right next to me. She'd spoken so quietly, as if afraid somebody would hear her. I caught her looking around again. Her gaze paused on some random guy, and she looked so worried that I couldn't just let it go.

"Are you okay?" I asked again, placing a hand on her shoulder. Charm gasped; she'd been so absorbed in looking around that she didn't realize it was only my hand on her shoulder. She looked up at me. I looked over at the guy behind us, who was busy texting on his phone.

"Do you know that guy? Is he following you?" I asked. I wasn't sure why I started asking her so many questions, feeling…protective.

"What? No," she said, turning back around and looking up at the menu.

"What will you two have?" the cashier asked.

"I'll just have two slices of…veggie pizza," Charm said, before looking over at me.

"Hmm…" I pondered, scratching my chin, which was feeling a bit whiskery and I was angry with myself for not having shaved. It wasn't like I _expected_ anything to happen, but if I was going to kiss Charm at the end of the night, I didn't want her to remember me as the guy with the scratchy face.

"I think I'll have the same and a slice of sausage as well," I said.

"Is two going to be enough for you?" I asked honestly, gazing down at Charm. When I looked, I found her looking all over the place again.

"Definitely," she said, and again it sounded like her voice was far away from me.

"Why don't you grab us a table? I'll get the pizza," I said.

Charm walked over to an empty booth and I waited to pay the guy. When I made it over to our table with both orders, the place was really starting to get packed. There were tons of people, most of whom I assumed were from campus. They looked to be around my age. Charm looked behind her periodically while eating her pizza. She would then turn back to me with a grin and say something about French class or the place where we were sitting, or that she didn't have any plans for the weekend so she thought it was nice of me to have asked her to go out.

"I have to ask you something, and it's not crazy or anything, but do you think if I ask that you could be totally honest with me?" I asked. I thought I saw Charm blush for a millisecond before she nodded. I leant in over the table a ways and lowered my voice, so only she could hear me.

"Is something wrong? Is something bothering you? I couldn't help but notice that you've been looking over your shoulder since the second we left your dorm." Charm's eyes widened a bit and then she looked at the table and they raced back and forth for a second, as if she were embarrassed.

"Okay. You caught me. I'm just nervous—and I know it's stupid—but I get this feeling whenever I'm out with a guy that my dad will pop up and get in my business. It doesn't help that he's a cop. He doesn't really ever approve of _anyone_ I hang out with, not that I've ever given him a reason to think I hang out with the wrong crowd or something, but I've just never seen him freak out on anyone the way he did when he found out your name…I _still_ don't understand what that was all about," she said, meeting my eyes as if trying to read me. It was _my_ turn to feel nervous. I had to focus hard not to do something like make a bouquet of flowers materialize, because I was really starting to like her a lot. And I started to feel nervous knowing that, and knowing that I had this big secret, something I couldn't tell her, something that automatically put her at risk.

"I swear, I don't know what that was about either. I hope it doesn't make you uncomfortable. I promise I'm not a bad guy. I come from a good home and I was brought up to treat others as they want to be treated. I've never hurt anyone. Not on purpose," I said. Charm started to smile. And she started to smile in a way that gave me so much hope about her. I shrugged, "Maybe your dad was intimidated by my height," I said. Charm laughed. My heart leapt. That voice sounded like chimes or bells, something that would resonate with me when I lay down to sleep later, reliving these tiny moments in my head. Yeah, I was definitely feeling something.

"I think you're really nice," she said genuinely, reaching across the table to grab a napkin at the same time as I was, and consequently brushing my hand.

"Oh, sorry," she said, retracting her arm a bit.

"Here," I said, handing her a napkin before taking one for myself.

"Thanks, Wyatt."

The way my name rolled off her tongue…my phone vibrated in my pants. I reached under the table to silence it, hoping Charm hadn't noticed.

"So, what are your plans for tomorrow?" I asked her, taking a bite of my third slice while she made it to her second. She glanced skywards for a second.

"Mmm, well I'm going to sleep in a bit. This week has been really busy for me. I'm probably going to be at my roommate's for her birthday party. She's going to have a little get together on campus, and then at her house. She lives pretty close by. Actually, I think it would be great if you came. I mean, if you want to go somewhere, if you're not doing anything. I'm sure she won't mind. The more, the merrier," Charm grinned.

"Really?" I asked.

"Yeah, really," she said, laughing. I felt a bit dumb to have sounded like I couldn't believe she invited me. But if it meant I got to spend time with her, then I was happy.

"Yeah, yeah I'd love to go. What time does it start? Where?"

"Well, you know where my dorm is, so that's the first part of the party. It'll be around seven, and then you can hitch a ride with us over to her house," said Charm.

"I mean, I know there's going to be drinking. I don't know if you're into that. It's not my thing, though, to be honest. My dad would kill me if he found out," she explained, rolling her eyes a bit.

"It's not really my thing, either," I said, and I was being honest. It wasn't like Ty hadn't convinced me to do some things before, but I never got into it like some freshmen did.

"Either way, I know it's going to be insane. Her parents are out of town. I know, classic, right? And she has a swimming pool, so that's going to be a highlight," Charm went on. The vibrations in my pocket became incessant.

"Someone's calling you," she said, biting into her crust.

"I know," I said, grinning, ignoring my cell phone for the fifth time. Charm laughed. And then all I could hear was Chris in my head, literally calling me.

"Bro! You'd better get your butt over here. I'm not going on this one by myself, remember? We agreed that I'd only handle every other demon on my own when you went off to school. Well, this one's _your_ turn. Don't make me drag mom into it, because I know you don't want that!"

I shook my head, "Shut up!" I shouted, slamming my fist on the table. There was a micro earthquake and everyone in the pizza parlor looked around, there were even a few screams. Charm grabbed the table with both hands. I had to learn to control my anger.

"What?" she said. I hadn't realized I'd spoken out loud.

"Oh, no! Not you," I said immediately, apologetically.

"I-it's my phone. It won't stop going off. That's—that's who I was telling to shut up," I said. I was still pissed as Chris continued to call for me telepathically. The room quaked a second time and Charm reached out and grabbed for something, catching my wrist where it rested on the table. She gasped, closing her eyes.

"Oh my god, I think it's an earthquake," she said. My pulse was jumping from her touch. She gripped my arm with both hands, her eyes closed in terror, and I calmed down and the room stopped shaking. People started to leave, thinking it was in fact an earthquake. Charm had not opened her eyes. I looked at her and could tell that she was absolutely terrified. Terrified to the point that her caramel skin lost its glow and she was pallid. My phone started to vibrate again, and I knew it was my brother calling me.

"Charm," I said. Finally she looked at me, placing her right hand over her chest.

"I…I'm sorry. I'm just so scared of earthquakes," she said.

"I got trapped in one in the house once when I was little…I just remember the ceiling falling on me…"

I really didn't want to leave, but I heard Chris scream and I knew he was in trouble. Instinctively, I jumped up, shocking Charm who got up with me.

"Charm," somebody said, walking over to our table. I looked over and it was the guy that had been standing in line behind us when we were ordering.

"Eric?" she said, the colour coming back to her face slowly.

"I can't believe I didn't see you," said the guy. He had green eyes and freckles, and reminded me of a leprechaun.

"Can you believe this? I can't remember the last time we had an earthquake."

"Yeah," she breathed, closing her eyes.

"Hey, are you alright?" this guy named Eric asked her. She nodded, smiling, but I knew it was a fake smile. In the moment that she was saying something to Eric, I took the opportunity to go towards the bathroom. As soon as the door closed, I orbed.

"Chris, this had _better_ be good, because I was just—"

"Duck!" I heard my little brother scream. I felt my face hit asphalt where he had jumped on me, and a ray of fire went flying overhead.

"I need your powers, bro. I can't get rid of this one," Chris explained, panting. I could just make out his face in the dark. We were in what appeared to be the familiar alley near my mom's club.

"I was on a _date_!" I screamed.

"Yeah, well you don't get to choose when these guys attack. Vaporize him!" Chris screamed. I glared at him and then jumped up from behind the trash can where we were hiding. I put out my hands as soon as I saw the demon. He appeared to be a lower level bastard, parading as a human. I was not happy when nothing happened as I attempted to vanquish him. He threw a fireball and I deflected it right back at him, but it did no damage. I was immediately frustrated; that usually took care of them. He threw a knife at me and I froze it right before it stuck me square between the eyes. Chris jumped up and grabbed it, hurling it at the demon that jumped out of the way. Chris tried to throw him up against the brick wall with telekinesis, but the demon was unaffected.

"Something's not right. I can't get him! I think he's got some sort of protective amulet."

"Your aim is crap, that's why," I said with annoyance.

"_You _try, then," Chris shot back at me. I called for the knife and threw it at the demon, stabbing him right where he'd tried to stab me. He went up in flames, screamed, and was vanquished.

"What?! I've been after him for three days. It _couldn't possibly _have been that easy!"

"Happy?" I said. Chris nodded.

"_Don't_ call me again unless it's life or death—you should've been able to take him," I said on impulse.

"What's your problem?" he asked me. I didn't wait to give him an answer before orbing out. I found myself back in the bathroom of the pizza place. I came out of a stall and looked in the mirror to find a bleeding bruise on my face.

"Shit," I said to myself. How was I going to explain this to Charm? I racked my brain. I didn't want to have to call my aunt Paige to heal me. I snapped my fingers as soon as it came to mind at the thought of her.

"Let the object of objection become but a dream as I cause this scene to be unseen."

There were white lights and my face was brand new. I walked out of the bathroom to find the place nearly empty. As I made my way towards the booth Charm and I had sat in, she was gone.

I felt so nervous when I got to my car. I couldn't have been gone _that _long. Why didn't she wait for me? And then I thought about the guy that approached us shortly after I'd caused the earthquake. _Damn_. She must've left with him. What was I going to say the next time I met up with her?


	4. Chapter 4

I realized I didn't have much of a chance at dating someone like Charm without having to lie. What if she agreed to go steady with me if I asked? How many times was I going to have to lie to her and orb out on a date because of demons? I didn't want to have to lie about _everything_, essentially. What if she was mad at me for disappearing on our date? How was I going to explain that?! I kept walking back and forth in my boxers, finally waking Ty who sat up, groaning as he looked over at me.

"I screwed up," I said to him. He blinked at me in confusion, coming to.

"What?" he asked, getting out of bed and walking to the window where he pulled it open. It was still pretty hot some days. The summer wasn't quite over yet.

"She'll _never_ go out with me again," I said, covering my eyes, hating myself.

"Dude, what are you doing up this early? It's Saturday," Ty groaned, reaching into his closet for his towel and shower caddy.

"_Early?!_ It's one in the afternoon, Ty," I said. He simply yawned, walking past me and out the door. I'd forgotten he hadn't been in the room when I came back from last night. I sighed, sitting on my bed. All I could think about was Charm, her beautiful laugh, her bright skin, the way her left cheek dimpled when she grinned. I started to realize I'd never felt this way about a girl before.

"Wyatt?" my mother called. Instinctively, I orbed right home, not even bothering to put my clothes on. I stood in the attic, my mother walking towards me from behind the stand where the book sat, a quizzical look on her face.

"Wyatt…why aren't you dressed?" She asked honestly curiously. And then her mouth turned into a stern line and her voice was bordering on remonstrance. I looked down and pressed my hands to my bare chest.

"No, no, no! Mom—no!" I said, shaking my head, "I just got out of bed. I haven't even showered yet, that's all." She closed her eyes and exhaled, and relief washed over her face. Then she opened her eyes and pointed her finger at me in a disciplining manner. Chris laughed, and I turned around to find him seated on the antique couch.

"Shut up," I said angrily.

"What is your _problem_?" Chris asked me.

"You've been gone barely a month and you're acting like a douche every time I call you home to demon hunt. You used to _love_ this."

"Chris," mom said, "I don't want to hear you say words like that," she said.

"Like what? Douche?"

"You're both going to be grounded in about five minutes. Quit arguing and pay attention." We both knew our mother wasn't playing.

"Honey, go put some clothes on, so we can talk about the demon issues."

"What? I thought I already took care of it last night," I explained.

"You just _had _to go to mom, didn't you?" I asked, turning on Chris.

"I vanquished him last night, didn't I?!"

"Wyatt, if you raise your voice one more time—"

"Fine. I'll be right back," I said, walking swiftly out of the attic to go to my room. I couldn't help slamming the door on my way, and then the room shook a little bit.

"Wyatt!" mom called from far away, and I knew she was warning me to calm down. I don't know why I _still _didn't quite have a handle on my powers. When I got angry, things got ugly. But I assumed I inherited that trait from my own mother. I remember Aunt Phoebe telling me that story about mom blowing up her bedroom door in an argument with dad. I shook my head, trying to calm myself down, and the house stopped shaking. I threw on a t-shirt and jeans from the remainder of the clothes I had left at home. As I left my room, I bumped into my dad.

"Hey!" he said, "What are you doing home, buddy?" he asked, sounding surprised to see me but giving me a hug. I sighed.

"Same old thing, dad. Demon business."

"Either way, it's good to see you. How's school going?" he asked.

"Great, dad."

"It doesn't sound so great," he said, reading my disappointment.

"Come on, buddy. I know when something's bothering you," he said, placing a hand on my shoulder. I gave him the best smile that I could feign.

"I don't want to talk about it right now," I said calmly. My dad let it go and gave me another pat on the back as I started for the attic again.

"So, what's up? Did I not actually vanquish the demon last night?" I asked, sighing, walking over to the book and looking at the page where a familiar looking demon was sketched in great detail.

"There's a problem," said Chris, walking up to the book as mom left the attic, asking us if we were hungry. He held something up and I looked at it as he approached me.

"I found this on the spot where you vanquished him," said Chris. He still had the knife I used to kill the demon, and something else.

"What's this?" I asked, looking down at the ring in my hand.

"Try and destroy it," said my brother casually. I looked at him and cocked a brow.

"Seriously, try it," he said. I threw the ring up in the air and tried to incinerate it, but it dropped to the floor unscathed.

"What?" I said, rather frustrated. It was the first time I'd been met with something my powers could not destroy. I picked it up, threw it in the air and tried to freeze it. It clattered to the floor.

"What the hell?" I asked, picking up the gold band and examining it.

"It's some kind of amulet. That's why the demon only died when you stabbed him. Looks like it was deflecting our magic."

"So, we're the sons of the most powerful witches the world has ever seen, but an amulet can block our powers?" I asked rhetorically.

"The problem is, as soon as you left, there was another one of these guys. He tried to attack a woman in the alley. I managed to knock him out before he could do any damage, and I noticed that ring, so I took it off him before the police got to the scene. Something tells me he'll be coming back for it," Chris explained, pulling another ring just like the one he'd just shown me from his pocket. It was a gold band with some sort of strange inscription, like runes, but something I couldn't decipher. Inlaid in it was a black stone. I looked at the ring in my hand, and then at the one in my brother's.

"She was also a witch, the girl he attacked. She said she tried to use her power, too, but nothing happened. She's lucky I was there. I think he would've been able to kill her." I sighed.

"Well, what does the book say?" I asked.

"Nothing about these rings, unfortunately. This demon we vanquished," said Chris, pointing to the guy I'd stabbed between the eyes hours ago, "is some sort of warlock. But mom says it's not like one she's ever faced. The ring isn't like the one she and our aunts had to face when Prue was alive. It seems like it's just a protective amulet; he couldn't use it to kill us."

"So what do we do?" I asked.

"Just be on the lookout. The guy I took out after you left, he's still on the loose. He's in jail for now, but not for long. It's not like he won't blink out of there. I would've taken care of him last night, but someone had called the police before I got a chance."

"And this other witch you saved, did she know anything about the warlock? Why he attacked her?"

"Duh, to steal her powers," Chris said, rolling his eyes.

"And no. She left before I could really ask."

"Sandwiches," my mother said, coming up with a tray, which she placed on a table. Chris was the first one over there. I sighed.

"Well, will you let me know when you've made progress? I've got tons of homework to do."

"What?" Chris asked with his mouthful.

"I've got to go. I can't flunk out my first semester. I'm sure it's nothing to worry about. All you have to do is get the rings off these guys and vanquish them," I said before orbing back to my dorm. Ty jumped, pulling his towel back around his waist, hiding his pale bottom.

"I think you should try using the door. I love rooming with you, but sometimes you scare the hell out of me just coming in like that," he explained.

"Sorry," I said.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Sure," I said, grabbing my stuff to go brush my teeth and shower. I decided I might as well get some work done early, and then go try to catch up with Charm. Despite my plans to be studious, I couldn't get my mind off her…


End file.
